Leo J. Carlson, 80, Clam Falls passed away Aug. 7, 2017.
Leo John Carlson was born July 26, 1937, in Grantsburg, Wis., to Lewis and Margaret (Melin) Carlson. As a young boy, Leo and his family moved to Clio, Mich., where he attended kindergarten and elementary school. The family returned to the Maple Valley area where he graduated from Frederic High School in 1955.
Leo met Mary Nelson in church choir. They married Oct. 22, 1955, at Clam Falls Lutheran Church. Together they raised five children.
Leo began his 39-year career in the telephone industry in 1960 as a lineman for the Siren Telephone Company. He later worked as an installer/repairman in Frederic, an area manager in Webster, and a central office technician in Frederic. His career took him from climbing telephone poles and using crank phones to the digital age and the dawn of the Internet. He retired in 1999. Telephones and technology remained his hobbies. In his retirement, he was the bookkeeper for Carlson Excavating, son Robert’s business.
Leo served his community as a member of the Frederic School Board, clerk for the Town of Clam Falls, and various church boards. He helped organize a Full Gospel Businessmens group.
Leo was born with a heart defect. He had his first open-heart surgery at age 35. Throughout his lifetime of health issues, he kept the faith and was the patriarch of the family.
Leo is survived by his wife Mary; children Konnie (William) Didlo, John (Linda) Carlson, Suzanne (Milton) Johnson, Robert Carlson, and Mary Beth (Mark) Hansen; grandchildren Andrea (Joshua) Felmer and Emily Didlo, Jessica Carlson and Anna Carlson, Matthew (Arie) King and Amanda (Carl) McGrane, Randy (Amanda) Carlson and Tanesha Carlson, Hannah (Jess) Ader, Holly Hildebrandt and Hunter Hildebrandt; great-grandchildren Sabrina Felmer, Adalyn, Cole, and Charlotte McGrane; sister and brothers, Delores (Art) Bishop, Larry Carlson, and Lowell (Carol) Carlson. He was preceded in death by his parents Lewis and Margaret Carlson and grandson, Dustin Carlson.
Visitation will be held Wednesday, Aug. 9, from 5-7 p.m. at the Rowe Funeral Home in Frederic. Funeral services will be held Thursday, Aug. 10 at 11 a.m., with visitation from 10 to 11 a.m. at the Siren Assembly of God Church. A fellowship luncheon will follow. Burial will be at 1:30 p.m. at the Clam Falls Lutheran Church Cemetery followed by fellowship at the church. Pallbearers are Matthew King, Randy Carlson, Hunter Hildebrandt, Joshua Felmer, Carl McGrane and Jess Ader.
Arrangements are entrusted to Rowe Funeral Home in Frederic, 715-327-4475.
